2017 - Official Deer Season Thread

[dprimm]

some shelters/food pantries will take them. There is a sign up at the processor I go to saying you can donate deer to the cause. I didn’t get all the details but I’m sure there are some in your area as well.

I am 90 minutes from where I hunt. Quite a bit of coordination to do the hunt. Not sure if I am motivated enough for the donation route. Though will keep that in mind if multiples show up next time.

 

[Fargo]

for those that process yourself, how long does it take you -- start to finish? Mine took way too long, but I was learning lots while doing it. Content with the outcome - just curious what time others spend on it.

I will generally have it skinned, quartered, back straps and tenderloins out, and the carcass trimmed for jerky or grinding meat in about 45 minutes to an hour. How long it takes me to bone out the quarters depends on how much of it I want to keep as roasts versus how much of it I am going to grind or turn into jerky scraps. I like to be pretty meticulous about removing fat and silver skin on anything I'm keeping whole so I take some extra time on that.

 

[Stang51d]

I have one worked up and tempted to go out with it for the rest of the season and see if I can't get a doe with it. I've got a 150 Hornady SST load worked up based on my 150gr Hornady FMJBT load for my Garands.

Stang, what round did you use?

180 gr SST, 46 gr or IMR 4064. Never had an issue with it in the Garand.
Also use a 150 gr round nose with 50 gr of IMR 4064.

 

[yetti462]

for those that process yourself, how long does it take you -- start to finish? Mine took way too long, but I was learning lots while doing it. Content with the outcome - just curious what time others spend on it.

Average about 2hrs.

 

[CountryBoy19]

I will generally have it skinned, quartered, back straps and tenderloins out, and the carcass trimmed for jerky or grinding meat in about 45 minutes to an hour. How long it takes me to bone out the quarters depends on how much of it I want to keep as roasts versus how much of it I am going to grind or turn into jerky scraps. I like to be pretty meticulous about removing fat and silver skin on anything I'm keeping whole so I take some extra time on that.

You're much faster than I am... haha


It takes me about 3 hrs from hanging the deer to closing the freezer. I trim most silver skin & fat from all cuts being kept whole. I trim tendons and large bits of silver skin and 90% of fat from things being ground. I cut out rib meat for grinding and trim out the flanks as best I can. Cube all the grinding meat up, and cut & package the whole cuts, the place in the freezer. I don't quarter the animal. I leave it whole and work from the hanging carcass which may slow me down a bit more but makes less mess IMHO.

 

[cerebus85]

Took my shot opening day at a 6+ buck. hit but must have been low. I had to turn around in the stand to shoot. I tracked him for 6 plus hours before the rain came in and I lost the trail. Family member said they heard 2 short shots right where I had been so I hope they got him. I felt like a turd leaving but I had no trail and was already teetering on being deep in someone else property which I wasn't overly excited about. needless to say if anyone got a deer in Putnam county with a preexisting wound by a 30-30 thank you.

 

[hoosierdaddy1976]

Keep the stories and pics coming. No hunting for me this year, so this is what I have to look forward to. Couple of monsters taken not far from me, one by a guy I know pretty well.

 

[CountryBoy19]

My wife was at it again this morning... should've had 2 or 3 more but technical difficulties prevailed (bolt failed to pick up a round when she closed it to get the first deer). 1st deer slipped away before she caught the problem and corrected. 2nd deer (another doe) DRT, not a step (another 200 yd shot). 3rd deer stayed just out of her comfort range (270 yds) for a while and once it crossed into where she was more comfortable it never offered a shot, then it trotted off into the woods... Hoping for another ~4-5 deer to fill the freezer up...

 

[hoosierdaddy1976]

Article about one of the deer shot just a few minutes from my house.
https://midwestoutdoors.com/hunting/illinois-hunter-scores-possible-record-non-typical-buck/

 

[phylodog]

Article about one of the deer shot just a few minutes from my house.
https://midwestoutdoors.com/hunting/illinois-hunter-scores-possible-record-non-typical-buck/

I'm glad he got it, that is a beautiful buck and a once in a lifetime trophy.

That said, I wish Indiana would implement a parity policy for non resident hunters coming to Indiana. It costs an arm and a leg for an Indiana resident to travel to some of the other big buck states and hunt. Hunters from those states can come here and hunt for a fraction of the cost. Non residents have leased a significant amount of hunting ground in Indiana because of this disparity which makes it more expensive and more difficult for Indiana residents to find hunting opportunities. Seems to be common sense to me but I guess I look at it from the perspective of maintaining a healthy herd rather then trying to reduce numbers as much as possible.

An IL resident can come to IN for an archery whitetail hunt for $230.00
An IN resident can go to IL for an archery whitetail hunt for $467.75

 

[avboiler11]

A few years ago, Kentucky increased their nonresident hunting fees substantially for a similar reason...making it painful for me to go hunt my parents' land (that I grew up hunting) in Washington Co, KY.

 

[phylodog]

Yes they did, we started paying the increased fees to hunt turkey down there. Only seems fair to me to increase ours and would bring more money in to benefit the state.

 

[bocefus78]

I'm glad he got it, that is a beautiful buck and a once in a lifetime trophy.

That said, I wish Indiana would implement a parity policy for non resident hunters coming to Indiana. It costs an arm and a leg for an Indiana resident to travel to some of the other big buck states and hunt. Hunters from those states can come here and hunt for a fraction of the cost. Non residents have leased a significant amount of hunting ground in Indiana because of this disparity which makes it more expensive and more difficult for Indiana residents to find hunting opportunities. Seems to be common sense to me but I guess I look at it from the perspective of maintaining a healthy herd rather then trying to reduce numbers as much as possible.

An IL resident can come to IN for an archery whitetail hunt for $230.00
An IN resident can go to IL for an archery whitetail hunt for $467.75

I agree 100%. I used to bow and gun hunt IL. In addition to the ridiculous fees for tags, there was a lottery system you had to dick with. Combine all that with $4 per gallon gas at the time, and I decided enough was enough. We went to OH as a non res for $125 which at the time was for all seasons, all weapons, and iirc, 2 buck tags.

Now we get peeps here from OH and IL because of our longer seasons (IL gun season In looking at you) and legal use of actual rifles which those two states don't allow.

 

[hoosierdaddy1976]

I'm glad he got it, that is a beautiful buck and a once in a lifetime trophy.

That said, I wish Indiana would implement a parity policy for non resident hunters coming to Indiana. It costs an arm and a leg for an Indiana resident to travel to some of the other big buck states and hunt. Hunters from those states can come here and hunt for a fraction of the cost. Non residents have leased a significant amount of hunting ground in Indiana because of this disparity which makes it more expensive and more difficult for Indiana residents to find hunting opportunities. Seems to be common sense to me but I guess I look at it from the perspective of maintaining a healthy herd rather then trying to reduce numbers as much as possible.

An IL resident can come to IN for an archery whitetail hunt for $230.00
An IN resident can go to IL for an archery whitetail hunt for $467.75

Can't find anything to disagree with.

 

[Fargo]

Shot a big doe the other night, probably the biggest I've ever shot and I've shot quite a few over the years. Despite a solid pass-through of the vitals with the 270, it made it onto the neighbors land, I guess it just had to run the 50 yards it had left in that direction. Went over and asked if it was OK if I went and found it, they were very nice and allowed me to do so. I about killed myself heaving the thing over the fence since I didn't want to leave a gut pile on their property since they have a dog. I'm going to guess a little over 200 pounds on the hoof, hanging now and will probably butcher tomorrow.

 

[natdscott]

Shot a big doe...it made it onto the neighbors land,... Went over and asked if it was OK if I went and found it, they were very nice and allowed me to do so. I about killed myself heaving the thing over the fence since I didn't want to leave a gut pile on their property...

This is TEXTBOOK. You should put on an ethics class with the DNR.

Thank you for being one of those guys.

-Nate

 

[Hoosier Carry]

This is TEXTBOOK. You should put on an ethics class with the DNR.

Thank you for being one of those guys.

-Nate

Second that "Thank You"!

 

[Hoosier Carry]

. Seems to be common sense to me but I guess I look at it from the perspective of maintaining a healthy herd rather then trying to reduce numbers as much as possible.

Self-conservation by hunters is needed to keep a healthy population if anything is going to change.

 

[phylodog]

Self-conservation by hunters is needed to keep a healthy population if anything is going to change.

I agree with you wholeheartedly but unfortunately I think we may be in the minority

 

[Rookie]

Got my first deer. 45 yards and she dropped in her tracks. 150 grain 308 in her heart. I was pulling chunks of heart out of her.